By Lisa Desatnik, CPDT-KA, FFCP, FDM, CPBC- Pet Behavior Columnist Associative learning. What is it and how can understanding it help you to have a “better behaved” pet? All of us, including our pets, are constantly learning from our experience how we should or would feel, think or behave in certain situations. Associative learning simplified... Continue Reading →
By Lisa Desatnik, CPDT-KA, FFCP, FDM, CPBC-Pet Behavior Columnist You are on a very important Zoom call and your dog will not stop barking at your feet. Your doorbell rings and your dog begins barking, twirling and jumping on you as you go to open it. You are frustrated. You want to stop your dog's... Continue Reading →
By Lisa Desatnik, CPDT-KA, FFCP, FDM, CPBC-Pet Behavior Columnist Something to think about when it comes to dog training (or parrot training or training any other animals)…if you demand or beg for participation, it is not REALLY about cooperation. It is applying pressure, coercion, even force. You may notice more dog stress signals or avoidance.... Continue Reading →
By Lisa Desatnik, CPDT-KA, FFCP, FDM, CPBC-Pet Behavior Columnist I hear it all the time. My dog was FINE at the vet, FINE when on the grooming table, FINE in the midst of a busy event, FINE when kids were running and screaming…. Until one day, something happens. “Out of the blue,” the dog tries... Continue Reading →
By Lisa Desatnik, CPDT-KA, FFCP, FDM, CPBC-Pet Behavior Columnist I get the question all of the time… “How do I STOP my pet’s (unwanted) behavior?” Many times, when I ask follow up questions, I learn the question was asked because attempts at stopping the behavior have failed. Keep this in mind. If a behavior is... Continue Reading →
By Lisa Desatnik, CPDT-KA, FFCP, FDM, CPBC-Pet Behavior Columnist This month I’d like to talk about rules and expectations, how they affect our relationships and emotions, and ultimately our behavior. That is important to understand because it isn’t just about our relationship with other people, but with our pets as well. Imagine for a moment... Continue Reading →
By Lisa Desatnik, CPDT-KA, FFCP, FDM, CPBC-Pet Behavior Columnist Often when I get a call about a growling dog, a lot of the blame is on the dog. Dogs get yelled at, sprayed with water, jerked on the leash and shocked, all meant to get the dog to stop growling…to teach the dog that growling... Continue Reading →
By Lisa Desatnik, CPDT-KA, FFCP, FDM, CPBC-Pet Behavior Columnist When it comes to changing your pet’s behavior, do you tend to be proactive or reactive? In other words, do you wait for your dog to do the unwanted behavior, and then use either punishment or redirection to change it...or, do you anticipate when the behavior... Continue Reading →
By Lisa Desatnik, CPDT-KA, FFCP, FDM, CPBC-Pet Behavior Columnist Dog training (and training birds or other animals) with positive reinforcement often involves either luring, shaping, or capturing to teach new behaviors. For today, let’s talk about capturing behaviors. What is capturing as an animal training strategy? Simply described, capturing teaches your dog or bird or... Continue Reading →
By Lisa Desatnik, CPDT-KA, FFCP, FDM, CPBC-Pet Behavior Columnist Something to think about when it comes to dog training (or parrot training or training any other animals) …if you demand or beg for participation, it is not REALLY about cooperation. It is applying pressure, coercion, even force. You may notice more dog stress signals or... Continue Reading →
